Monday, March 16, 2020

Defining, Refining, Confining


Some of our neighbor's chickens have been running about in my side yard near their coop for months now. I don't blame them for coming through the fence because their coop is completely arid with the exception of a nice healthy crop of fireweed which it would appear, even chickens avoid. I don't mind the chickens being in my yard at all. They are lovely birds. But this morning when I went to let my chickens out of the hen house, I found these four, happily pecking about at the leftover scratch grains from yesterday. They were not perturbed at all by my presence and in fact, ran up to me as if they expected a fine treat. I let my hens and Liberace out and damn, if the neighbor-hens didn't just join in with them, eating the new scratch I threw out.
Now if they'd just start laying in my hen house I'd be thrilled!
Speaking of eggs I got an amazing one yesterday. I'm pretty sure that Miss Susie laid it. I'm glad I didn't have to.


I'm betting that it has two yolks. 

So. What's going on in your world? I took a walk this morning for the first time in weeks. It's gratifying to know that I can still walk a couple of miles. The wildflowers are blooming and I saw wisteria in sunny places in full purple glory. Even the vine in my yard is starting to show color. 


A blooming day lily in the little park-like area between a road and the post office charmed my heart with its almost radiant golden yellow. 


I talked Mr. Moon into not going in to the gym or to the office. He can work from home if he needs to and frankly, not that many people are thinking about buying cars at the moment. However, I don't think he understands what hunkering down down means. I think that the idea of being stuck here makes him panic. He is a man of many projects and constant activity. He decided to spray for fleas this morning and the sprayer apparatus didn't work and next thing I knew he was off to Lowe's and five hours later he was home. His definition of absolute necessity is not mine. I pointed out this evening that there are plenty of things to do around here which are not going to require materials or supplies. Such as cleaning out spaces and throwing shit away. If anyone on the planet needs a little Marie Kondo-ing, it's him. The problem is that everything he's got stashed in the garage and the sheds and his closet spark joy for him. Or at least he believes that at some point in his life he's going to need each and every board, car part, old hose...hell, I don't even KNOW what all he has...for some project. 
And when he needs whatever-it-is that he has stashed and can find it, joy is going to be sparking off him like a wintergreen lifesaver when you bite down on it in the dark. 

Meanwhile, I am going to go stay with August and Levon tomorrow and they're coming out here on Thursday. I honestly do not believe they have coronavirus but of course I don't know that for sure. Still- one has to make choices and sometimes those choices are based on faith. Not religious faith but just faith that common sense dictates. Jessie has called me at last three times to discuss this because she obviously doesn't want to kill her parents. Now after Thursday, I may close the gate and chain my husband to his chair. He keeps talking about Dog Island which yes, would be a safe place in that there's hardly a soul on the whole island but I told him that I'd go crazy there without my books and my stuff and my chickens and that if he wants to go that's fine but if he gets sick, who's going to take care of him and by the way- if I get sick, who's going to take care of me? Of course I lied when I told him that it would be fine with me if he decided to go there. I'd probably throw my body in front of his truck when he tried to leave. 

I feel quite certain that almost everyone is having similar thoughts and conversations and experiences. I almost wish that the government would put us all on lockdown because that's the only way that some people are going to stay home. If the choice is taken away from us, we'll all probably be better off but you know- this is America, land of the free. Home of the brave. The place where citizens are risking the health of themselves and loved ones to go out and buy guns because GOL DURN, Y'ALL, SOMEONE MIGHT TRY AND STEAL OUR TOILET PAPER!

I guess. 


A little house wren is making a nest in this old watering can I have hanging on the kitchen porch. I'm going to have plenty of time and opportunity to watch what happens. 
Isn't that lovely? 

We all just need to stay home, take care of what we have before us and those we love. 
As I told Mr. Moon a few minutes ago, running out of whipped butter is not a good reason to go to a grocery store. I need to remind myself of that. We all have to readjust priorities and needs and learn to define what they really are. 

This is really something, isn't it? 
Yeah. It is. 

I'm glad we have each other. 

Love...Ms. Moon



28 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tonight the BBC News showed Americans queuing. I imagined they'd be queuing for toilet rolls, tins of soup or hand sanitiser or maybe volunteering to help elderly citizens but they were queuing for guns and ammunition! What the f**k! What the hell is going on in their heads?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are the nuts that are afraid of losing their rights and of someone stealing their toilet paper and they are probably all big fans of the Orange Intestine and his minions.

      Delete
    2. A friend of my brother in law lived in the deserted North of the country and boyfriend one to protect against mad max type raiders. It'll be like that within a week, I'd say, in some places. I am so glad I live in a gunless country.

      Delete
    3. I think that most people have anxieties that they can't control so they try to control them in odd ways. And in the case of buying guns- potentially lethal ways.

      Delete
  3. We were short staffed at work today and I imagine going forward we will be short staffed a lot. I ran my ass off. I can't do this for weeks or even months. Work will kill me, not the virus.

    Tie Mr. Moon's shoelaces together so he can't go anywhere:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NO! Please don't kill yourself from overwork! Please.

      Delete
  4. getting out and walking is good medicine! I walked today with the dog (short, but OK)......in between rain squalls........It felt good! gym closed down so no gym- ing for me........ re-adjusting seems to be the key...and we all need to do it. and Re-prioritize, as you say. WHAT is really most important? Really? Our health, family, basic necessities- period
    Susan M

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that before this is over we're going to be having some new awareness about the difference between wants and needs.

      Delete
  5. The wren is making a nest in the bottom of the watering can? And a ladder for the little wrennie babies to march up?
    Tell Mr. Moon, my cat got fleas through the screen, and so I believe corvid19 can get to Dog Island.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the wren, after trying to fill the watering can with nesting materials has given up.
      I'll tell Mr. Moon what you said.

      Delete
  6. Dear mrs. Moon

    I get you. I want to button up the house and stay the he'll home. I am scared to fucking death. My boss theorized a question to me today at Work and I had to Go to the restroom to cry. Because I'm scared. I'm afraid of my folks catching this and they will die. I'm not ready for that. I'm just unraveling 2.5 years of super fucking crazy depression. I mean off the charts darkest days for me and now this...I love you Mrs. Mary Moon. I mean that 1000 times more then you'll ever fathom. You being you helped me to start to pull my self out of a hell I didn't know I could get out of. Please don't disappear, I feel so silly telling you I still need you and your amazing healing ways. That's another thing I realized today, I'm afraid that beyond this covid carp I'm afraid of people I see as landmarks just being gone hiding from the bat shit crazies that are out there. I wanted to tell you your loved,your amazing, your needed, I fell better telling you that I am scared. Thanks for hosting a place for me today this out loud...
    X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey darling. I'm not going anywhere as far as I know. And I'll do everything I can to avoid it. This is a scary, weird time but please remember that the deaths due to coronavirus WORLDWIDE are still less than 7,000. This is reassuring to me. We need to be as careful and as sensible as we can and not be afraid to make sacrifices but we're going to get through this. I know, however, that for many of us, it's just one more thing to add to our infinite list of things that seem overpoweringly anxiety-producing. But we'll ultimately be okay. Do everything you can to follow the rules about how to avoid the virus and then realize that that's all you can do.
      Email me any time. mmerluna@aol.com
      Sending my love. I'll be thinking of you.

      Delete
  7. An excellent Post Mary, Wise Words and a reminder that so many things really aren't necessary. If we are high risk it is daunting to even do what we absolutely HAVE to. Raising a Grandchild she is concerned of dragging anything Home that might Kill us, since then what would become of her?! I was glad when they closed the Schools, not for the unfortunate people who now will have a Day Care dilemma and have to now wrestle with whether or not to put their aging Parents at risk by asking them to babysit so they can Work, but because sometimes we do need choices taken away so we can just do the sensible thing for the moment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. We have to weigh our options and try to figure out which is the best. Y'all stay safe.

      Delete
  8. Amid all the fear and sadness I like to think the neighboring chickens you're feeding will move in and lay in your nest boxes. That would be a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If it weren't for the rooster, I bet they would but he's not likely to challenge Liberace by moving his ladies in. And I know he doesn't want to share them.

      Delete
  9. Dear Mary, we all gather round your table and find comfort. Be well my love. You and yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You be well too, dearest. We are all in this together.

      Delete
  10. Wishing you healthy days ahead. I hope those little boys and you will be okay. Hoping you have a peaceful night.

    ReplyDelete
  11. My head is spinning with the weirdness of it all. (Or maybe it's coronavirus?!) It IS hard to make yourself stay home. I keep thinking of things I'd like to do that involve going to the store or to a cafe or a museum -- but no!

    I love your adopted chickens! And that egg -- yikes. It's painful to look at. I think one of your chicken's dinosaur genes are coming to the forefront.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought the same thing about that egg! Am I going to open it to find a pterodactyl in it?
      I am doing the same as you. Hey! Let's go to the HIlltop and get sandwiches! Oh wait. No.

      Delete
  12. We went into lockdown today at noon. From now on if we leave home we have to have an attestation on us stating that we are going to work/going to get essential supplies/going to help a vulnerable person or (and get this) going to walk the dog!!! Says it all really doesn't it. At the moment it's just for 15 days but I can see it going on for a month. In the meantime I have a list of projects the length of my arm to complete so time to get going. Anyone caught out without the attestation gets an instant €38 find - going up to over €100. But to put it in perspective, our parents/grandparents were sent off to war. We're just being sent to the living room to watch TV for a couple of weeks. It's all about priorities!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd be tempted to get a dog if those rules are going to be enforced for a long time.
      Okay. Not really.
      Yes. We can do this. We can.

      Delete
  13. THAT EGG my gawd! Hard squawk! I would blow it out and save the shell, another thing to marvel at and to collect dust, but I would do that. Finally Mr. Man is calling this day his last day, shutting the office for at least two weeks as recommended by our brilliant governor, I love the man!! So. yes, staying in, being elderly pays off, I like this trend actually as long as we do not become ill. Practicing domestic skills - I think that I remember how. Baking , sewing, cleaning, and arting- a dream come true. AGAIN, as long as we do not get ill, that terrifies me.So break your husband's legs if you must to get him to stay in. IT will be short lived but may save a few lives...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad your husband is shutting his office for now.
      And we can find plenty to do, can't we?
      Just stay well.
      I think my husband is starting to understand about staying home. Maybe.

      Delete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.